Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the sixth person involved in the 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, where over 40 worshippers were killed and many others injured.
The DSS is currently prosecuting five individuals Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) for allegedly carrying out acts of terrorism linked to the attack.
For nearly four years, the sixth suspect eluded arrest, becoming one of the most wanted fugitives in Nigeria. Security sources disclosed that DSS operatives, who had tracked him for years, finally apprehended him in Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State.
The suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, is a high-profile commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). After the Owo church attack, Yusuf initially fled to Kano before relocating to the Edo village to hide.
Sources revealed that Yusuf has confessed to being involved in planning and executing the Owo church massacre. He also admitted participation in other ISWAP operations, including the July 2022 Suleja military barracks attack, kidnappings in Kaduna State, and assaults on soldiers.
“He admitted his role in the Owo church attack, the Zuma Rock checkpoint assault, which claimed five soldiers’ lives, and multiple ISWAP kidnapping operations,” a source confirmed.
Yusuf further disclosed that he served under other ISWAP top commanders, including Abu Ikirimah, who was arrested by the DSS in 2024.
“This arrest represents a significant milestone in delivering justice for Owo church victims and soldiers killed at Zuma Rock, highlighting the DSS’s relentless fight against terrorism,” sources said.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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